24/06/2014 South East Today

Inevitable, I suppose. That's all from the News at Six. Goodbye from

me. On The family of a Kent man make an

emotional appeal. Don't click excessively. Don't go near the river

when you have had a drink. After years of controversy, a final

decision on maternity provision Inking outside the box ` Hastings

artists, The Chapman Brothers, promise unique tattoos for those

who help crowd fund their l`test I am Dawn French. The dwarfhsh

child. And still making a splash after 30

Million Minutes ` Dawn French brings Better policing,

with fewer resources. That was the promise from

Kent Police today as they l`id out how they'll run the service with

a further ?20 million cut from Under the plans, district commanders

will be given more powers to direct But critics claim that sincd

the force has already borne cuts of ?50 million, yet more savings will

inevitably impact on the service. Our political editor,

Louise Stewart, reports. Kent Police responding to an

emergency call. Under a new policing plan not this morning, the officer

who responds to be much closer in the future. 30 new teams including

Ashford, Canterbury and Medway will, instead of one centralised

hub. The aim is to make mord communities for police officer. I

have no more resources. When people see the same officer at the same PC

and the same category, they day and day out in the local communhties,

you get to know the local staff Due to a cut in funding from government,

forces across the country h`ve seen their budgets squeezed. In Kent 20%

of the workforce has been ctt in the last two years, including 500 front

line officers. Earlier this year, it was announced that 100 more offices

jobs are at risk. Every victim at crime no longer gets a visit from a

police officer. Recently, wd saw school liaison officer. Recdntly, we

saw school liaison officers disappear. We know cut the having an

impact. We want to make surd we are proactively targeting criminals and

also responding to the publhc in their time of need. Some victims of

crime believe police are already struggling to respond. This teenager

was recently viciously attacked by a gang in Ramsgate. He needed 19

stitches in his face. His f`mily say, they were disgusted by the lack

of action from the police. Ht scares me that already, we have two weight

a fortnight before police contacted us. If the police force is to be

juiced any further, how long did that mean we have two weight. ``

reduced. Kent met the Largo police say the new model did in thd best

chance to retain current levels of policing. There has been sole

criticism today the fact th`t Ann Barnes, the Police and Crimd

Comissioner was not there the Lord. That's right. Critics have said that

she should have been there. This is a big change in policing and how the

council will police. She has come under a lot of criticism later,

particularly for taking part in a fly on the wall documentary for

Channel four. The Prime Minhster entered in the row saying hd was not

impressed with her. To be f`ir to Ann Barnes, this is a polichng

matter and led by their polhce constable and I am told thex were in

communication throughout. They have agreed on priorities for thd county.

The sister of a man who drowned in the River Medway is warnhng

people of the dangers of getting drunk and out of control.

An inquest heard that Kieron Knowlden from Tonbridge was

three times over the drink drive limit when he fell into the river

His body was found nearly three weeks later.

The coroner recorded a verdhct of misadventure.

To Northern 's family arrivd at the inquest with his baby, that he never

got to meet. He fell into the River Medway when he was nearly three

times over the drink drive limit. Don't drink. Don't go near the river

when you have had a drink. Hf anything, get a taxi from where you

are going. Don't be stupid. Had a drink, have a laugh, don't be

stupid. We have lost a big part of our lives through drink. Kidran had

been to the park and was reported missing the following day `` pub.

His body was not discovered until the middle of mark. This story

echoes the story of another person who had been out drinking.

Accidental drowning scores lore than 400 deaths each year. Once xou have

fallen in, your decision making is, like with everything without the

whole, slower. You don't re`ct as quickly as you might. If thd water

is cold, you have cold shock response. During's family s`y they

hope lessons can now be learned The inquest says that cause of death was

immersion under were no suspicious circumstances. A verdict of

misadventure was recorded. He has got a very young baby he will never

meet. His nephews miss him. There is a big hole that will never heal

Their plea to others, don't go near the river after drinking. On the

programme in a moment: The Latest TV, a new service for Brighton

starts in August. Is there room for more players in local media?

The hugely controversial future of maternity services in East Sussex

will be decided at a meeting in Eastbourne tomorrow, a year after

services were temporarily downgraded at the DGH in Eastbourne.

One being to keep Crowborough's birthing unit open,

and one specialist service at either Hastings or Eastbourne.

Option two would see Crowborough close, with one midwife led unit,

and one consultant led unit at the hospitals.

The final option would see the status quo maintained, but it?s

not clear if the consultants would be based at Hastings or Eastbourne.

Natalie, all the options involve downgrading

maternity at one of the Sussex hospitals on a permanent basis.

They do. The NHS said this hs absolutely not about saving money,

it's about saving lives. Thdy point to statistics showing that before

they downgraded the unit Eastbourne last May, they saw a sharp rise in

the number of seriously ill and dying mothers and babies across the

Sussex trust. That was 70 incidents out of 40,000 births. `` 14 out of

4000. Since, shutting those units, and taking away the consult`nt unit

at Eastbourne last year, thd number has gone down to five out of every

4000 births. There has been a campaign locally to keep thd

consultant unit which is behng going on for one year. I spoke to a mother

who lost a baby at the DGH hn Eastbourne and others who h`ve had

difficult birds there. Thank goodness I am not having my baby is

now. I would be frightened to death. The services are not there. We went

through very traumatic experiences with our children and they would not

be here today. The MPs Eastbourne has been backing that campahgn. He

said that tomorrow's decision should be referred to the secretarx of

state. It's a meeting tomorrow says, as I expect, they will be consultant

led in one place and midwifd led at the other, I would be urging all the

councillors to listen to thd people of East Sussex and Eastbourne and

refer it to this Secretary of State for an independent cynical decision.

The decision is tomorrow in Eastbourne. We can expect a lot of

emotion anger and anguish from both sides of the debate. We will

tomorrow which decision the NHS takes.

Passengers flying from Gatwick Airport have been f`cing

delays and disruption on the first day of a six`d`y strike

Gatwick says a handful of flights have been cancelled.

Its largest airline, Easyjet, is warning that many flights will

be longer than usual and subject to delays, as they're being diverted

A second senior figure at Pilgrims Hospices in Kent h`s

Dr Richard Morey, who's been Chairman of the Board

of Trustees for six years, has stepped down with immediate effect

just days after the Chief Executive announced his resignation.

It comes after weeks of campaigning led to the charity

changing its decision to close beds at their Canterbury site.

With local newspapers attempting to stem the fall in circulation, and

other commercial media fighting for survival, there's a new boy joining

"Latest TV" will broadcast `cross the city from August.

The government has also persuaded the BBC to provide ?25 millhon

for infrastructure in the local TV channel programme throughout the UK.

But how will the new contender for audiences fare as it trhes to

Our business correspondent, Mark Norman, has been taking a look.

In a television industry, they call this a promo, a glimpse of Latest

TV, offering news and entertainment to audiences in Brighton. I believe

TV should be democratic, evdryone has a right to be on television

Certainly, Brighton has a rhght to its own local television ch`nnel.

Almost every major city in the world has TV studios and a TV channel

Brighton have now. This is ` tough market for media companies.

Brighton's local newspaper has a reputation for journalism btt it is

local news and sales are down by 20%. The local television h`s

struggled to attract audiences. One of the difficulties they will face

is it actually, there is no community in Brighton. Therd is no

television being viewed. Wh`t there is are a lot of people with

television sets who may or lay not decide to watch a local programme.

Many people believe that Brhghton can arc the trend. In this city

there is a heady mix of tourism and entertainment. If that is rdflected

in their TV screens, you will believe it could reflect in

audiences. Brighton is a city where people are more interested than

most. Particularly, a mix of people who have very varied interest. Main

TV channels cannot cater for this. Work has started on building the

news studio. They go live at the end of August. Kent Police say how they

will run the force after a further ?20 million in spending is `re made

and there are 600 less officers 20% of the workforce has alreadx been

cut. On new plans, district commanders will have more power to

use the resources. Author Robert Dawn French, brings her one`woman

show to Brighton. After a d`y of sunshine and showers, tomorrow looks

fresher but prior. `` dryer full During World War One, Folkestone

provided the last glimpse of home for millions of young men who left

through the port for the front line. As part of a series

of events to mark 100 years since the start of the war, an exhibition

opens at the Town Hall todax. Called, "Your Country Calls",

it tells the story Sara Smith has tonight's

Special Report. MUSIC PLAYS

It's a town which deal echods with its connection to the great War The

troops would march down that hill to the ships which would march down

that hill to the ships which were taken to France. Told to stdp short

so that there strive to copd with gradient and cobbles. The order has

been taking for a name of events to mark the centenary. Today this Step

Short exhibition opens to tdll the story of the trenches. Millhons of

people passed through. Some went by train, some went to by boat. It

played a huge role and a lot of people do not know this, evdn the

people who live here now ard unaware of the enormity of Folkestone's

role. New recruits flooded here to train before heading to the front.

At first there were so many people volunteering they were not the

uniform or facilities to accommodate them. Folkestone family offdred

bedding. It was also home to soldiers from around the world.

These were sons and daughters of empires coming here to do their

thing for home and country. There was a great deal of interest. That

was true in France, to a certain extent as well. The troops were

regarded as amazing that thdy had come from far`flung places to help

the French and Belgians on behalf of the British to win the war. But

Folkestone was not just a point of departure. 100,000 Belgian refugees

arrived in 1914, this baby one of the last to leave its ransacked

country. They received a warm welcome. Boy Scouts were directing

them to shelter. This painthng was made a gift of the town by refugee

artist to show his gratitudd. The exhibition includes propaganda

posters, and a glimpse of how the new recruits were being trahned

Throughout the year, there will be more events to mark the rold that

this time played. On August four are exactly 100 years since the war

began, Prince Harry will be opening the memorial arch. There will be

reports throughout the day `t 1 30pm and 6:30pm.

She has been around 30 millhon minutes or so, many of them on our

TV screens. Now, after injuring a very public split

Henry, Dawn French take into the stage with a very public show.

she is one half of one of the most successful comedy double act. Dawn

French is now going it alond on her first ever solo tour. You h`ve got

rid of Jennifer Saunders who has been holding you back for so long!

This is your first solo tour. Yes! We have always worked apart. It is a

good thing like marriage. It is good to have a little bit of somdthing

that you bring back into thd relationship, if you like. We will

always work together, Jennifer and I, but I value the relationship if

you like. We will always work together, Jennifer and I, btt I

value these she was loved bx millions in the Vicar of Dibley and

Dawn French set a new warranty status, national treasure. H am Dawn

French will stop the dwarfish fuchsia .de child. Her one linute

show is 30 million minutes. How long she has been alive. It's not stand

up, it is about her life and career. Is this your midlife crisis? There

is no crisis involved. It is just showing off! It is a chance for me

to talk about stuff that I have learned, stuff that I am absolutely

sure about and stuff that I have questions about. You have to be a

right age to do that. Being in the middle of my 50s, I feel confident

enough to do that now. What can you pass on to a whippersnapper like me?

Are you a whippersnapper? I'm 4 . It's interesting you refer to

yourself like that. I am good everywhere. On the road and off the

road. I have spent a couple of years at home writing novels. I'm getting

a little crew together, makhng a family, in microcosm of a f`mily.

That is very good. Dawn French has certainly crowned a lot into her 30

million minutes. She has had critical acclaim and had an awful

lot of fun along the way. MTSIC PLAYS

I can't believe he asked her if she was any good on the radio! Where is

she going next? The question was, how good are you on the road! She

will be in Brighton, then to Crawley, then to Derby, and in

September, to Tunbridge Wells. She will be on stage here in about 0

minutes. How one`woman show has had some very good reviews. And

interviewing her, something of a force of nature. She is amazing We

will have more of the interview on our Facebook page.

Crowd funding is a relatively new way of people getting cash together

for businesses. As part of their revolutionary new product, the

Chapman Brothers wants to r`ise money. If you give them cash, they

will give you 82. `` tattoo. We are in the lion's den, the artists

studio in the east end of London. There are things here we cotld not

possibly show you on TV at this time of night. But I am Lydia Jake

Chapman's tattoos. When Dean 's and Jake Chapman `` Dinos and J`ke

Chapman let their imagination run away, there are no boundarids. A

slight trepidation about fiddling with people. If you look at our

work, if there is a kind of subliminal level of this work, it is

much easier to make art and it is to act out the things on peopld. Maybe

the idea of doing tattoos is the closest we have come to fulfilling

our evil desires. It all sotnds a bit hard`core! Any takers on the

streets? It sounds like a good idea to me. I expect there are a lot of

people in Hastings who would be well up for it. A real patio? I don't ``

tattoo I don't think so. Thd idea is, they will do something they are

famous for, reworking other people's work of arts. In this case

it will be things they fired on the streets of Hastings. They are going

shopping for those. We must raise the funds to send them so that they

can rummage through the appropriate antique and junk shops that they

want to. This feast of tattooing will only happen if the gallery

raises ?25,000 in a new ide` called crowd funding. It means loc`l people

need to support the exhibithon. A test, possibly, of how much they

wanted. He went to Chatham Grammar School

and used to play for Maidstone United. And most recently, Chris

Smalling, who's originally from the South East, has been part of the

England team in their final World Cup match against Costa Ric` this

afternoon. Well our sports reporter, I think they would be delighted by

their new facilities, but disappointed with the new draw. Not

so much interest today. Chrhs Smalling was very proud of his local

roots, he loved to present his county, his school and his club Not

surprisingly, they remember him pretty fondly, too. Whatever the

circumstances, walking up to play in the World Cup finals, even hn a lost

cause, is a great moment. Especially so that a member who was, jtst six

years ago, a Chatham School member, playing to his local club, Laidstone

United. He looked like a yotng Michael Jackson and a beanpole. It

wasn't that which stood out. It was the fact that he had a wonddrful

talent and a huge amount of skill in him, and a reading of the g`me in

such a young player. We alw`ys knew, or thought, that he would bdcome a

good player. We were not quhte sure how good. We never dreamt that he

would be playing for England in a World Cup. We never dreamt that

That was the reality today. But Chris Smalling's best days of a

player may still be somewhat of They normally say that halvdd and

defenders's prime is in the mid 20s. Playing with these other pl`yers can

only help him go a long way. It is not just Chris Smalling that has

links with this club. Hobson's also has links with this club. It seemed

to have confused the manufacturers with this range of mugs, who

inexplicably replaced the 24`year`old with Barack Obala. After

they arrived, we realised there was something not quite right whth one

of the mug. Hence, the, President's head on Chris Smalling's body. Chris

Smalling may not have the sure`footed authority of thd

president, but he hopes to be back in a few years time as part of a

more successful England World Cup side. It's been a disappointing

World Cup. What have you of it? I think this experience will help them

so much with the Euros and the World Cup to come. Obviously, it he has

progressed so much since he was he at Maidstone. If he continuds going

the same way, he will be part of a strong platform. The boys hdre are

from the Maidstone United youth section. What did you make of Chris

Smalling today? Brilliant! Do you think you could do the same Chris

remarked yes! So you haven't given up on England yet. Well thex will be

home soon to enjoy the weather. Is it going to stay fair

feeling a little bit fresher. We have quite a high pollen cotnt which

will be decreasing over the next couple of days. Rain for Frhday but

it will be fresher before wd get there. Earlier, there were some

showers but also decent spot the sunshine. Feeling really quhte warm.

Highs of 25 Celsius. Do tonhght we have some showers, likely to be

quite sharp but easing and ht will be increasingly dry as he start the

day on Wednesday. Quite a bht of cloud cover around. Temperatures

dropping to 30 degrees or 40 degrees. Generally, tomorrow, `` 13

or 14. Generally tomorrow in top teams, but edging up to 18 or 1

degrees, some cloud cover around. Hazy likeness. Through tomorrow

night, staying dry and feelhng fresher. Temperatures dropphng to

eight or 9 degrees in rural spots. As you go to the day on Thursday, it

they settled. On Friday, like this: 17 to 19 degrees. Have you got your

flask of coffee for later? Join me later after the football. And have a

good evening. Catch the late-afternoon games

on the go.